Six Months Ago
To every thing, there is a season, and a time to every purpose. The Earth spins at a thousand miles an hour as we desperately try to keep from being thrown off. Like the first blush of winter that signals a great migration, is there any warning of their arrival? A sign, a single event that set this chain into motion? Was it a whisper in God’s ear? Survive, adapt, escape. And if we could mark that single moment in time, that first hint of the prophecy of approaching danger, if we had done anything differently, could it have been stopped? Or was the die long ago cast? And if we could go back, alter it’s course, stop it from happening, would we? This list, these people, their future is written on their DNA, just as the past, it seems, is written in stone. Was the die cast from the very beginning, or is it in our own hands to alter the course of destiny? Of all our abilities, it is free will that truly makes us unique. With it, we have a tiny but potent chance to deny Fate, and only with it can we find our way back to being human. Plot summary Hiro Nakamura arrives at the Burnt Toast Diner six months in the past after attempting to go back only a single day. Charlie, the waitress he is there to save, serves him while celebrating her birthday. At the Gray & Sons clock shop, Gabriel Gray is approached by Chandra Suresh. Gabriel impresses the supposed customer by diagnosing his watch as running two seconds slow, just by looking at it. Chandra introduces himself and provides Gabriel his contact information and a copy of his book, Activating Evolution. Officer Matt Parkman pulls Eden McCain over for a routine traffic stop. She bluntly states that the Lamborghini is stolen. Matt orders Eden out after seeing an open bottle of alcohol. She refuses, using her power of persuasion to suggest that he leave and have some donuts, and he agrees, driving away. As she prepares to drive off, The Haitian stands in front of her car, blocking her way. Jackie arrives at Claire's bedroom and informs Claire that she got her the open cheerleading position, asking for her to try on the outfit, but Claire wants to try it on later. Jackie is surprised at Claire's lack of enthusiasm and threatens to give the position to someone else. A struggle ensues for the outfit, ending with Claire's hand crashing through a glass cabinet door after both girls lose their grip. Her mother helps clean the wound before taking her to the emergency room. Mr. Bennet then receives a phone call from Chandra, who tells Mr. Bennet that they must speak about Claire. Hiro continues his attempts to explain to Charlie that he teleported from the future. He tells her not to go to work tomorrow as it rains outside. Hiro realizes that he teleported back too far, since it was not raining the day before he teleported, and it is, in fact, Charlie's April birthday. He considers trying to teleport again, but is afraid of the possible results and decides against it. At an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, Niki introduces herself and states that she has been sober for one year, and is congratulated. Niki notices her father sitting in the audience. After the meeting, he explains that he does not want to be out of her life for another year. Niki tells him that it was never her choice. He apologizes and says he wants to get to know his new family. Peter is having a party at his apartment. Attendees include his mother, brother, and his brother's wife. Nathan arrives and offers him a pair of ladies' shoes as a present for becoming a nurse, expressing his disdain for his brother's career choice. Angela tells Peter that his dad is very proud of him, but couldn't attend the party because he has a meeting with Mr. Linderman in Atlantic City. Nathan also informs Peter that the district attorney wants him to prosecute Mr. Linderman, though Peter rises it will incriminate their father in the process, explaining it as an opportunity to "take the stink off the family." Gabriel arrives at Chandra's apartment. Chandra says he would like to run some non-invasive tests on Gabriel's brain, adding that the brain controls every action. Gabriel explains that as a kid he felt his family was insignificant, but he wanted to be different and important; Chandra tells him he is important. Eden is sitting in a chair with her mouth taped shut. Mr. Bennet reads her criminal rap sheet to her, tells her that she needs a purpose, then removes the tape. Eden spits in his face and then attempts to use her power on Mr. Bennet to let her go immediately. However, The Haitian blocks her power. Mr. Bennet tells her that now there is someone who can say "no" to her. Hiro places a call to Ando at Yamagato Industries, but Ando is out sick that day and the call is answered by the Hiro native to that time. Hiro panics and hangs up the phone, exclaiming "Gureito Sukotto!" Hiro then begins working as a busboy at the diner. Hiro gives Charlie a Japanese phrase book as a gift, which she reads breifly, then thanking him in good Japanese. When Hiro comments on how quickly she is learning to speak it, she tells him that she's been remembering everything lately. Hiro tells her that she has a power and that it will become stronger in the future, though she is skeptical. To try and get his point across, Hiro uses his powers to retrieve flowers-from a shop two blocks away-and brings food to one of her tables as soon as the order was up. However, she is still skeptical, thinking he is a magician. He tells her that tomorrow, "The swallow will slay the dragon." Niki sits at the grave of Jessica Sanders, whose gravestone reads "1976–1987." When D.L. arrives, Niki talks about missing Jessica and her father's desire to meet them, and explains that Hal has money which they can use to get Micah into private school, and propose inviting him to dinner. Nathan and Heidi discuss Peter's career choice while driving home in their convertible, when a black SUV speeds up from behind and tries to run them off the highway. Nathan struggles to maintain control of the car, but suddenly finds himself floating out of the driver's seat, leaving Heidi alone in the car. Nathan floats in the air, unable to help as he watches the car crashes into barrels at an exit ramp, then falling to the ground far from the crash. As Peter wakes up from a dream reaching upward, the phone rings. Peter meets Nathan at the hospital where Nathan explains that Heidi has been in surgery for 10 hours. Peter then asks him about the "other car" that was involved. When Nathan asks how Peter knew about the other car, he explains that he saw it in a dream he was having. Nathan explains that the guys in the other car were Mr. Linderman's and that Mr. Linderman must have learned about the plan to prosecute him. Nathan asks Peter to do the deposition if he agrees to take the case; Peter agrees. A doctor pulls Nathan aside to explain his wife's condition, but Nathan is displeased with the doctor's news. The next day, Hiro brings a newspaper to the diner and shows Charlie the results of a Japanese baseball game where the Swallows beat the Dragons. Hiro comments on how flawlessly she reads the Japanese article after only one day, but her skepticism has not waned. In conversation, they begin to discuss origami. Charlie comments that a person who folds a thousand cranes will be granted one wish. Hiro then uses his powers to stop time and fill the Diner with a thousand cranes, and also offers her a one-way ticket to Japan. He states that he doesn't care if she believes him, but only wishes for her to accompany him to Japan. At Chandra's apartment, Chandra talks to Gabriel while performing some tests. Chandra asks Gabriel why he did not change professions instead of fixing clocks like his father, to which Gabriel references a phrase from Chandra's book about "evolutionary imperative," claiming that evolution compels creatures towards certain behaviors. Chandra appears to be disappointed upon completing the tests, telling Gabriel that he appears to be "healthy." Gabriel is also disappointed and asks whether Chandra will perform additional tests. Chandra says he may have been wrong; Gabriel may not have any special powers, despite being on his list. Gabrial begs for more tests to be done, but Chandra says there are others in need of his time. Gabriel browses through folders of other suspected evolved humans and asks whether he thinks Brian Davis, who Chandra suspects of being telekinetic, is important or whether Chandra will give up on him too, getting him kicked out. On the street, Gabriel glances at Brian Davis's name and address, written on the Post-It he took off the folder. As Gabriel leaves, Mr. Bennet exits a cab and approaches the building. Micah opens up a gift, a laptop from Hal. The family thanks him, and Hal tells him to go play with it. Niki explains that they want to put Micah into a private school and Hal realizes they're asking for money and obliges. Hal tells them he's surprised they even let him through the door after all the things he did, though Niki tells him he didn't do anything. Hal goes to check on Micah and finds that Micah has disassembled the laptop. He yells at Micah, angering D.L. and Niki. Hal goes to leave and offers Niki a check. He tells her he owes her more than an apology can ever do. Niki asks him what he did that was so bad, and Hal is genuinely surprised that Niki doesn't remember. After he leaves Niki looks in the mirror and Jessica appears to take over. In Chandra's apartment, Mr. Bennet asks Chandra how Claire's genetic abnormality is going to affect her, but Chandra isn't sure. Mr. Bennet asks if Chandra has a daughter. Chandra says "yes," but then admits that she "was" five, and how Shanti's genetic anomaly began his research. Chandra tells Mr. Bennet that he'd like to meet Claire, but Mr. Bennet tells him that will be a problem for his family, but that he will think about it and let him know. At Hal's hotel room, someone is at the door. He opens the door and Jessica enters. When Hal asks if she remembers, she tells him she could never forget, grabbing Hal by the throat. Hal calls her Niki and she corrects him, saying that she's Jessica. She reveals that Hal used to beat Jessica and ended up killing her, though Hal claims it was accidental. Hal apologizes to Niki, but Jessica tells him that he needs to apologize to her. Hal tells her that she's not Jessica and tells her that she needs help. She throws Hal down on the bed, stuffs his check into his mouth, and tells him not to return. Claire is practicing some cheerleading routines when her father returns and brings her a teddy bear. Claire asks her father whether she's a bad person for wanting to be a cheerleader when Jackie is a "bitch." He tells her it's her actions that make her good or bad, then asks to see her hand. He remarks on how nicely it's healed. At home, Matt reveals to Janice that he failed his exam again. She remarks on how much he studied, but Matt tells her he knows all the answers but can't tell them about his dyslexia or it could hurt his career. Matt asks how she can want to kiss him, and manages to hear Janice's thoughts as she thinks that he's her hero. She tells him that he's everything she wants, despite his job complaints. Peter is dressing himself in preparation for the deposition when Nathan arrives, informing him that their father is dead and that there will be no deposition. Nathan claims that he died of a heart attack. He tells Peter to take comfort in the fact that their father didn't know what they were about to do to him. Hiro tells Charlie about a 24-hour samurai film festival in Austin, Texas. Charlie appears reluctant and Hiro asks if she still wants to go to Japan. Charlie tells him that ever since they met he's made her so happy, but that she does not normally let people get too close to her, revealing that she is dying from a blood clot in her brain. When Hiro laments that he was supposed to save her, Charlie tells him that before she met him she was about to just give up, but that Hiro has made her feel more alive than she imagined. In Japanese, she tells him she loves him. Before they kiss, Hiro accidentally teleports himself back to to the present on a rooftop in Japan where his coworkers are exercising. Hiro tries to teleport back to Charlie but is unable to do so. Gabriel is repairing another pocket watch at his shop when Brian Davis enters, explaining that someone called him. Gabriel tells him that he made the call. He glances down at the watch on the table and sees the name "Sylar" on the face and introduces himself to Brian Davis as "Gabriel Sylar." Brian stares at a mug on Gabriel's desk and manages to slide it across the desk telekinetically, then asking if Gabriel can make it go away, surprising him. Brian tells him he does not know what the ability is, but he doesn't want it. Gabriel looks at him momentarily, then tells him that he is broken and realizes how it works with pieces in the brain all fitting together. He grabs a quartz paperweight off his desk and tells Brian he can fix it, killing him. Mr. Bennet explains to Eden that she has an opportunity to start over, but if she's not interested they can put her back in her old life. She asks what they want her to do, and Mr. Bennet explains to her that Chandra has a list with Claire's name on it. He wants her to get Claire's name off the list. Gabriel meets with Chandra again and demonstrates telekinetic power by moving a glass across the table. Gabriel apologizes for his previous behavior, and Chandra understands his anger. Gabriel tells him that he feels different now as if he was given a chance to start over with a new life and new purpose. Gabriel tells Chandra that all the others are waiting to be told of their importance and their true potential. He tells Chandra that they'll find them together. In the present day, Hiro returns to the diner where Ando greets him. Hiro tells Ando that despite traveling through time he was not able to save Charlie. Ando suggests he try again, but Hiro tells him that his power is bigger than he is and that he cannot change the past. He tells Ando he has failed and places an origami crane at the makeshift memorial for Charlie. Starring * Greg Grunberg as Matt Parkman * Ali Larter as Nikki Sanders * Adrian Pasdar as Nathan Petrelli * Jack Coleman as Noah Bennet * Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet * Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura * Noah Gray-Cabey as Micah Sanders * Milo Ventimiglia as Peter Petrelli * Leonar Roberts as D.L. Hawkins * Sendhil Ramamurthy as Mohinder Suresh Guest Starring * Elizabeth Lackey as Janice Parkman * Zachary Quinto as Sylar * Cristine Rose as Angela Petrelli * James Kyson Lee as Ando Masahashi * Jimmy Jean-Louis as The Haitian Co-Starring * Jayma Mays as Charlie Andrews * Danielle Savre as Jackie Wilcox * Rick Peters as Tom * Nora Zehetner as Eden McCain * Erick Avari as Chandra Suresh * Rena Sofer as Heidi Petrelli * Michael Maury as Deputy Lloyd * Deidre Quinn as Tina * Josh Clark as Sheriff * Robert Rigamonti as Surgeon * Ryan K. Smith as Deputy * Graham Beckel as Hal Sanders * David Berman as Brian Davis * Yuki Matsuzaki as Worker * Sally Champlin as Lynette Memorable quotes Trivia